It has started wars, divided friends and neighbors, and been at the center of human consciousness since there were humans. It stirs passions and causes celebrations. And it is not politics, religion, or relationships. It is potable water. Though there are many applications for the world’s most sought-after commodity, many people never think much past the basic uses. Indeed, potable water can be used for good, as well as evil.
Potable water is simply water that is capable of being consumed. As such, of course it can be used for drinking. It can also be used for food preparation, washing, recreation and, in some cases, perhaps even transportation. It is the source for nearly every form of life that has been discovered. It is why the United States spends billions of dollars looking for water on Mars. Scientists understand that, where water is, life naturally follows.
Water covers approximately 75 percent of the earth’s surface, in one form or another, but usually as a liquid. But while finding water is plentiful, not all of it is readily in a form that can be used by humans and other terrestrial life. Fresh water, for example, makes up only about 3 percent of the earth’s water resources – and not all that is potable. Less than one half of 1 percent is actually in a usable form.
That makes potable water a very valuable commodity that has, in the past and in the present day, been used as an excuse for war. The UN Environment Agency projects that 3 billion people will be living in areas severely affected by potable water shortages within the next 50 years. At the Geneva Conference on Environment and Qualify of Life in 1994, lecturer Adel Darwish quoted the Egyptian president as saying in 1979 that Egypt would only go to war again over water resources. Skirmishes over water could soon dwarf skirmishes of oil resources. Darwish stated 18 countries in the region will have stressed their water resources to the limits within the next 15 years.
Potable water is also useful as an economic engine. Those who have water rights could find themselves in a very enviable situation as water has to be transported to population centers from longer distances. Those owning the rights to springs and easily accessible underwater aquifers could charge for the water itself, or the rights to access the water.
Potable water can also be used as a source of power. Politicians already know this. As the southeastern part of the country continues to struggle with a drought, even states are involved in a power struggle. Georgia is considering a lawsuit with Tennessee to reclaim land it said was originally part of its state. The reason? The disputed land just happens to sit under a prime source of potable water.
As potable water becomes increasingly scarce and increasingly in more demand, the world faces a crisis. Potable water is no longer just a resource, it is a source of power, money and disagreements. Finding a solution will be difficult, but not impossible. Until the world works together on this issue, the issue will only become more volatile. After all, if two states are involved in a border skirmish, what are the chances two countries, with no benevolence toward each other, will be able to work together?
